


viewmaster feeling

by clericbyers (starkreactor)



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Minor Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-02 08:16:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21158489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkreactor/pseuds/clericbyers
Summary: Mike notices Will’s odd behavior in the theater—he’s definitelynotokay no matter what he says—so he goes and does something about it.





	viewmaster feeling

**Author's Note:**

> I’m planning to rewrite a few ST3 scenes (so far all unrelated / not part of the same au but that can change) and here is one that was requested: the theater scene from 3x01. I have a complete rewrite of the entire 3x01 episode in the works (unrelated to this) and I plan to rewrite the 3x03 argument and the 3x04 sauna fight against MF!Billy as well. <s>And maybe finally start writing RR!ST3 but we’ll see about that</s>
> 
> Rebloggable link can be found in the end notes.

Mike biked under the pink and blue neon lights that spelled Starcourt up above on the entrance to the new mall. He was panting from the ride, the summer night’s warm breeze not enough to cool his body from the exertion he put into the ride. He skidded to a stop and hopped off the bike seat as Lucas approached him, Max and Will flanking either side of him.

“You’re late. Again.” Lucas announced as if Mike didn’t know that already. Mike turned to him, noting his irritated posture and Max’s equally irritated raised eyebrows. Will was a bit more patient, he always was when Mike was concerned, but he knew the brunette was just as irritated as Lucas and Max, he just wasn’t prone to showing it.

“Sorry,” started Mike with a heavy huff. He slid his bike between the metal bars next to Lucas’ bike and turned to face his friends.

Will stepped forward with a small frown and Mike’s gaze moved to him without a second thought. The lights tinted his face blue and made the shadows in his gaze darker. Mike felt a bit guilty about his lateness just looking at Will but he stuffed that emotion down and refused to let it cross his face when Will spoke up. “We’re gonna miss the opening.”

“Yeah,” snorted Mike, “if you guys keep whining about it. Let’s go.”

“_If you guys keep whining about it_,” Lucas mimicked as Mike approached by him. The immature urge to stick his tongue out at the other boy struck Mike but he shoved it aside as he patted Will’s arm in a motion for him to follow his lead.

Mike shoved a little at Lucas when he wouldn’t move and kept making faces during his Mike mimicry. “Just _please_ stop talking about it, dude.”

Will laughed. It was a light chuckle that mostly went unnoticed in the bustling crowd but Mike could always hear Will’s voice no matter what other noises surrounded them. He turned on his heels and walked backwards for a few steps to send Will a returning small smile, only turning back when Lucas shoved him a bit and grumbled under his breath for him to keep moving.

“Let me guess though,” Lucas began after clearing his throat, “you were too busy fawning over El to remember to check the time?”

“Oh yeah, real mature, Lucas,” snarled Mike. “How many times do I have to tell you we’re just friends now?”

Lucas kept making kissing sounds and Mike really wanted to punch him. “Mwah, mwah, mwah; Oh El, I want you back so we can kiss forever and ever like we used to and never hang out with any of our friends.”

Mike turned on Lucas with a glare. “I do hang out with you guys even when we were together; what do you think this is? Me and my imaginary friends?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re imaginary to you now.”

That stung a lot. Mike grit his teeth and increased his stride as he turned back toward the crowds. His eyes followed the messy lines and jumbled colors of typical modern fashion and it was an easy distraction from Lucas’ words even if it spiked his anxiety. He could hear Max reprimanding Lucas but he didn’t bother to comment on anything and simply forged the path ahead through the crowds for his friends to follow. Will came up beside him and his simple presence managed to calm Mike down for reasons he didn’t understand and didn’t really _want_ to understand. It was completely normal that Will helped Mike’s negative emotions dissipate, right? They’d been friends forever and Will knew what to do to help Mike as much as Mike knew how to help Will. They knew each other like no one else—hell, he was the only one in the Party who knew exactly why Mike and El broke up two weeks ago.

_I don’t think you like me enough for this, Mike._

Distracted by his thoughts, Mike stumbled off the escalator and bumped into a teenage girl, who glared at him as he apologized and regathered his balance. Embarrassment coursed through his veins but he trudged on, keeping his head down as Lucas bickered with his younger sister. Will’s hand brushed against Mike’s when he nervously brought a hand up to play with his bottom lip and he turned to face the shorter brunette, eyebrows raised even though Will wasn’t looking up at him. The distraction was enough though and Mike felt not an ounce of anxiety as the quartet turned into Scoops Ahoy.

Mike quickly strode to the countertop bell and tapped it 7 times as Robin rolled her eyes. She never seemed to like them when they arrived; her mood almost constantly dropped once she spotted them enter the ice cream parlor. Mike was never quite sure why but she seemed to always target her irritation toward him in particular. Secretly, he wondered if Robin had some unresolved girl business with Nancy and he found himself caught in the middle of it by being Nancy’s brother. “Hey dingus, your children are here!”

The back window slid open and Steve Harrington appeared looking displeased as always. He obviously hated working here, looking dorky in his white sailor hat that had _Ahoy_ blazed across the fabric in a cheerful manner that contrasted the annoyance on his face. “Again? Seriously?”

Mike pursed his lips and gave Steve an unamused look, ringing the bell one last time.

Steve let them through the back of the shop with the usual reminder. “I swear if anybody hears about this, you’re dead.” Mike smirked to himself though; they knew how to be sneaky, more than anyone in this town probably knew. Some of the largest government secrets were secrets held by them, nightmares that followed them in shadows in the months since the Mind Flayer possessed Will and El closed the gate. The Party knew how to keep quiet so Steve had nothing to worry about, yet it still humored Mike that he felt a need to constantly give them a reminder.

The group rushed down the halls to the theater’s side exit and Mike opened the door to check and see if anyone was coming. When the coast was clear, he motioned for his friends to follow him into the theater playing _Day of the Dead_. They arrived just as the final preview was ending on screen, Mike making his way toward a pair of empty seats as Max and Lucas did the same two rows ahead of them. It was always like this; Mike and Will, Max and Lucas. No one had to say a thing about how they arranged themselves from even day one. Even when Dustin had joined them the week before he went to camp, he sat with Lucas and Max on Lucas’ other side and kept bickering with him about the snacks he had snuck inside. Now though, without Dustin there to be a buffer to Lucas and Max’s movie date, that changed the way Mike and Will ended up pairing themselves. Or at least it did in Mike’s mind. He couldn’t speak for Will. Did Will even realize how they were paired up like this, like _couples_? Even if he and Will weren’t a couple—which Mike still didn’t know how to feel about, which was even more confusing because shouldn’t his answer be that he’s completely fine with not being with Will that way?—they still never bothered to sit separately or even sit in the same row as Lucas and Max.

When the boys settled in, Mike called out to Lucas to bite back about how they made it on time. Lucas made some side comment back that Mike couldn’t really hear, but it had Max giggling so he wasn’t too unnerved by what he could have said. Will shifted beside him so Mike turned his attention on him, _ooh_-ing when he noticed Will was the one who had brought snacks this time around. He reached into the bag to grab a soda can and a bag of Skittles, raising an eyebrow at Will’s D&D character binder inside the backpack. He tapped at it, curious as to why Will was carrying it around, but Will merely gave him a look before grabbing the rest of his goods to distribute to Lucas and Max. Mike settled into his seat and cleared his mind of the day’s grievances, letting the hours he had spent at Hopper’s cabin helping teach El a little bit more about the basics of the world wash over him as the theater dipped into darkness and the feature film projected onto the screen. His concentration was ensnared by the movie and when the film suddenly flickered to a stop and the screen blanked, he was snapped out of the slight hypnotism and felt exasperation fill his chest with a displeasured moan.

The theater was filled with people protesting the sudden black out. Mike hated the noise and he rather wished everyone would silence and simply wait for the theater staff to fix the problem. A shiver went up his spine at the thought of this darkness lasting for the rest of the night and he fought against his eye’s natural inability to see in darkness to spot Lucas and Max talking between themselves as everyone waited. It didn’t take long for the projector to start back up and the film wound itself where it had stopped. The theater broke out into cheers and excitement and Mike smiled to himself, chancing Will a glance to spot the other boy smiling softly yet not as enthusiastic as everyone else. He watched Will for a moment longer, unsure if everything was really as fine as the crowd seemed to think it was. Will brought a hand up to his neck, rubbing slowly as if feeling for something and Mike leaned in.

“Hey,” he started softly, kindly, gently, _lovingly_, like he spoke toward no one else.

Mike was worried; Will’s face had gone slack with something akin to horror but the darkness of the theater left Mike unable to know for sure. Will gasped at Mike’s voice though and started to pull his hand away as he turned to face Mike. He seemed discombobulated, yanked from his thoughts violently enough that his face was left vulnerable to any and all emotion. When he looked at Mike, his eyes began to soften and Mike felt his heart repeatedly cartwheel in his chest from the intensity of his gaze. Will’s lips softened into a gentle smile and Mike couldn’t help but look down at the curvature of his lips, his thoughts racing at the proximity between them as the crowd continued their noise.

A beat passed. Will parted his lips, tongue peaking out to wet the pink flesh, and Mike’s heart jumped off a cliff. Will suddenly shook his head and grabbed his backpack. He stuffed his things inside as Mike watched him wordlessly with a crease in his brow. “Will?” he whispered, hesitant to get up yet his legs did so without conscious action of it. “You okay?”

“I, uh, yeah,” he panted, which was odd given his breathing had been fine just a few seconds ago. Will pointed toward the exit. “I just need a breather.”

Mike heard someone in the row behind him whisper at him to sit his tall ass down but he sent the owner of the voice a glare before reaching out toward Will. “You sure? You can leave your bag with me you know.”

Panic returned to Will’s face like he had something in his bag that he didn’t want Mike to see. He clutched the backpack closer to himself and stood up. “Of course; I just need…I need air.” Mike frowned. Will was rarely this flustered so it would be hard for him to convince Mike he was truly okay. “I’ll be back.”

Mike followed him anyway, pretty sure the people behind him hated his guts for standing up for so long. And with Will gone, Mike wouldn’t be to concentrate on the movie anyway. His mind would be too worried about what exactly was troubling Will. Mike clambered over people’s laps and apologized as his legs knocked their knees but he had to quickly make his way after Will. He called out for the boy once he reached the theater lobby, brown eyes searching through the night crowds for the familiar face of his best friend. He turned on his heel to rush toward the bathrooms, figuring Will might had hid in there to avoid people and find some solitude. Mike felt a bit guilty about possibly breaking Will’s solitude but he knew Will wouldn’t really mind. He was comforted by Mike’s presence too and that similarity between them would always ensure that Mike would be there for his friend as much as Will was there for him.

“Will?” he asked once the bathroom door closed behind him. It was surprisingly empty—he expected more people inside but was grateful that he hadn’t simply stumbled into another crowd. One of the stall doors was closed so he went to the plastic door and knocked three times. “Will, are you there?”

“I thought you were gonna stay and watch,” came Will’s weak response. He didn’t sound like he had been crying—Will was a very strong-hearted boy and tears only came in the most emotionally draining of times—but he sounded very exhausted and defeated.

Mike leaned against the door. “Maybe if you hadn’t bolted from the theater like you did, I would.”

“I’m sorry.”

Guilt punched Mike’s stomach. “No, no, it’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.” He turned to face the door and pressed a palm against it. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just worried about you. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Will shuffled on the other side. “I’m fine, Mike. You don’t need to harp.”

“Can I come in then? I know you’re not taking a dump.”

Laughter. Sweet, refreshing laughter even if it was tainted with a bit of hysteria from emotional distress. A click came next. “The door is unlocked.”

Mike opened it and clambered inside. He somewhat regretted the decision when he turned to lock the door and found they really didn’t have much room between them like this. Will was seated on the commode, knees pulled up to his chest as he rested his chin on his knees. Mike felt his heart squeeze in sympathy at the sight. His eyes caught Will’s backpack on the cold, tile floor beneath them and he pointed to it. “What’s in the bag you don’t want me to know about?”

“What?” Will looked over at it and his cheeks went pink. “Oh. Nothing important.”

“Your D&D binder is in there.”

Will shrugged. “That’s nothing to write home about.”

“So you wouldn’t mind if I just,” and Mike knelt down to grab the backpack, only stopping when Will cried out and untangled himself to reach down and grab it before Mike could.

Will’s hand fell on top of Mike’s and Mike could feel his cheeks burning with heat at the feeling. He was often the one always reaching out, always touchy and comforting in the way he knew worked best with Will, but Will rarely took his hand first, rarely nudged him first, rarely touched first in general, but then Mike was reminded of Will’s fingers brushing against his hand when he was anxious in the mall’s crowds earlier that night. He tried to think back on all the little things Will did to comfort _him_ as he stared at Will’s unmoving hand, and when he looked up, Will was staring right back at him. His eyes were large, green-hazel irises vibrant under the fluorescent bathroom lights. Pink dusted his cheeks in a flush that alluded more toward blush than any physical exertion. His nostrils flared once, flashes fluttering when his eyes darted down to Mike’s lips and—oh, they were so _close_ like this. If Mike really thought about it, he could faintly feel Will’s breath on his lips, more of a ghost feeling than anything, and he…he _liked_ it.

“Mike,” croaked Will. His voice was filled with fear and uncertainty. Mike wanted to wash it away and fill the boy’s soul with comfort and nurtured protection.

Mike slowly turned his hand so his palm was up against Will’s and he didn’t break eye contact with Will as he arranged his hand so he could slip his fingers between Will’s own. He squeezed once, watched the pink in Will’s cheeks turn red, and he knew exactly why he was bothered by the fact that he and Will weren’t together _that way_. “Whenever you get that view-master feeling,” he started, watching Will’s eyes comically widen, “and you feel stuck between the slides—,”

“—remember you’re not alone.” Will whispered along, his voice shaking at the edges. “Crazy together.”

Mike squeezed Will again, letting his thumb rub the back of the other boy’s hand. “Never forget it’s crazy _together_. Not just you, not just me._ Both of us_.”

And then Will kissed him.

Mike’s eyes widened and he released Will’s hand out of shock. Before he could even physically react—mentally, he was jumping between absolute elation and pure fright—Will pulled away and started climbing off the toilet seat. His face was vibrant red and he refused to make eye contact with Mike as he grabbed his bag and stood up, making his way around Mike toward the door. When he heard the click of the door unlock, Mike quickly stood up, gangly limbs flailing as he reached up to grab the top of the door and keep it shut. This pinned Will between the door and Mike’s chest, which had the brunette panicked when he spun around to protest Mike’s sudden actions. Mike reached down to lock the door and then grabbed Will’s face before leaning in to kiss him. He probably looked stupid, eyes squeezed shut and lips puckered like an idiot even though he knew he should let his lips relax and melt against Will’s own. He knew how to kiss and how to let someone kiss _him_, but nervousness had him acting like he was 12 again.

Maybe it was apropos that he was kissing like a 12-year-old: sloppy, miscalculated, too firm with pressing their lips together and pressing his nose into Will’s cheek. It made Mike feel like he was having his very first kiss all over again; a rebirth of sorts if he really thought about it. Eventually he relaxed and loosened his lips until he had Will’s top lip between his own. He sighed as he pressed in gently, gasping when Will squirmed against him and deepened the kiss as his fists clung to the lapels of Mike’s jean vest. He kissed Will again and again, each kiss belaying a promise to be together, and Will kissed him again and again, repeating the promise and making his own in turn. It was slow; each boy caught in the overwhelming feeling of their lips pressed together and tasting each other and the sizzling emotions that buzzed through them from the constant yet morphing contact.

Mike never wanted this to end. He never wanted to stop tasting Will on his lips but the bang of the bathroom door opening combined with hearty, loud laughter had them splitting apart with a quickness. Will paled so fast Mike thought he would go dizzy from the blood loss but Mike motioned for him to sit on the toilet and pull his feet up so people could only see one pair of legs under the stall as they walked by. Only the sounds of the intruders filled the air. Mike and Will weirdly avoided eye contact with each other until the bathroom emptied out and Will let out a held breath. Mike wasn’t sure if the kissing mood was back—kissing in a bathroom stall was a bit gross anyway—but he really wanted to kiss Will again and ensure that what happened between them wasn’t a dumb vision in his head. He couldn’t find the words to ask though and Will was already climbing off his seat and silently squeezing past Mike to open the door.

They didn’t speak anymore as they left the bathroom stall. Will stood beside him as they both examined themselves in the mirror, fixing their hair and washing their faces so the fish looked more natural in case anyone started asking questions. Mike could feel Will’s body heat like a heater and he wanted to tuck himself next to it for the rest of his days. They walked out the bathroom together too, still silent as they made their way back to their theater and returned to their still empty seats. Lucas and Max watched them with worried gazes but Mike waved them off and they turned back to the movie with shared shrugs.

Mike had practically convinced himself that making out with Will in the bathroom had been a trippy hallucination by the time the movie reached its final scenes. He felt weird, disappointed almost, that he finally realized what he wanted and figured out why El was right when she said he didn’t like _her_enough to be her boyfriend. But then a calm warmth covered his hand on his thigh and Mike quickly turned to Will, who was blushing but still watching the movie. Will’s fingers started tapping against Mike and it took him a moment to realize it was Morse code.

_Is being together okay?_

Mike nodded and used his other hand to tap Will in return. _More than okay_. A pause. _What was in your backpack though?_

Will sent him a shy smile. _I’ll tell you later_.

And later, when Lucas and Max left Starcourt before they did, Will opened up his backpack and pulled out a sheet of paper from his D&D binder that he quickly folded and pressed it into Mike’s hand. “Don’t be grossed out or whatever when you see it.”

Mike watched blue and pink dance on Will’s skin, giving him an enchanting glow that added to the surreality of the situation. He tucked the paper into his jeans’ pocket with a shrug. “I had your tongue in my mouth earlier so I don’t think a love letter is gonna faze me.”

Will swatted Mike and grabbed his bike. “It’s not like that! Just a stupid doodle.”

The ride back into the resident part of town was spent with Mike teasing Will and trying to guess what exactly was on the paper. Will wouldn’t budge with the details but he did whisper a small _thank you_ when Mike wordlessly passed by the Wheeler’s house and followed Will all the way home. On the Byers’ porch, Mike teased Will with one more joke before kissing his cheek and wishing him a goodnight. Will’s eyes were glowing so bright he could probably outshine the stars and Mike felt cozy inside knowing he had a part in making Will _this_ happy.

At home, Mike unfolded the sheet of paper in the privacy of his room and laughed. It wasn’t much—just their initials in some fancy calligraphy with a heart drawn around it—but it certainly would have been embarrassing for Mike to see without Will’s explicit permission. He traced the letters with a steady finger, thinking about how Will had spent his time drawing this out with the idea that it would be something he could never confess yet kept it close to himself in his backpack for who knew how long. Mike wondered if Will ever planned to show him but figured that was a question that didn’t need an answer. He refolded the sheet and tucked it in the back of his dresser before climbing into his bed to sleep on the exciting and life-changing fact that he, Mike Wheeler, was together with Will Byers.

(The next morning, when Jonathan was stopped by Joyce and she smeared Nancy’s lipstick from his cheek, Will called it gross because, well it kinda was. Joyce claimed that he wouldn’t find things like that gross once he fell in love. Will paused as he grabbed the maple syrup bottle, acted as if he was deeply contemplating something, and then shook his head as he began to pour. “It’s still gross,” he replied, smiling when Joyce’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to ask who Will had fallen in love with, only to be distracted by the fallen magnets on the floor near the fridge.

She never did get to ask but it wasn’t necessary when she reunited with the kids at Starcourt and watched how Will and Mike gravitated toward each other. They weren’t subtle even when they were trying to be, just as kids usually are about their romantic entanglements, and Joyce could do nothing but smile despite the seriousness of the situation as the two boys tried their best to hide the affectionate gazes they couldn’t help but exchange.)

**Author's Note:**

> [rebloggable ver](https://clericbyers.tumblr.com/post/188185129124/i-just-feel-that-the-fandom-really-needs-someone)


End file.
